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A unique guidebook to medicinal species of mushrooms found in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Since ancient times, mushrooms have been widely used in folk medicine. The treatment of diseases based on the use of medicinal mushrooms and drugs obtained from them is referred to as fungotherapy. Mushrooms are among the oldest living organisms on Earth. Over millions of years of their existence, these poorly studied organisms have created and accumulated a large variety of biologically active substances in their fruiting bodies and mycelium, helping them to survive, defend and colonize various ecosystems. The Pacific Northwest is a unique area on our planet, with its own distinct varieties of ancient plants and fungi. Our distant ancestors and Indigenous Peoples knew about the medicinal properties of mushrooms and skilfully used them. Most of modern civilization has lost much of this ancient knowledge and with it, the wonderful healing qualities and medicinal benefits of fungi. In many universities around the world, scientists are currently studying various properties of mushrooms and their uses for medicinal purposes and the possibility of using them in various medical fields. Fungi participate in almost all processes of life; entering into symbiosis with plants and animals. They are an integral part of the human microbiota; a new organ of the human body still yet to be fully studied and understood. Mushrooms are used in a multitude of different arenas, ranging from the food, microbiological and pharmaceutical industries, etc. Currently, mushrooms are used to produce proteins, antibiotics, vitamins and organic acids, among others. Healing substances are made from fungi extracts to stabilise blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, improve bowel function, and to enhance the general condition of the body. Some biologically active ingredients obtained from fungi are being prescribed to cancer patients for recovery after chemotherapy. These incredible fungi have the ability to improve the immune system, aid in the support and prevention of various cancers and other diseases, and are becoming more commonplace for use by health practitioners in western medicine for treatment of those who are terminally ill. This book offers information on over two-hundred medicinal mushrooms that grow in the Pacific Northwest rainforests of North America. This guide will be of much interest to mycobiologists, fungotherapists, phytotherapists, nutritionists, traditional healers, medical students, doctors, scientists, medicine/drug developers, food processing professionals, and generally people who are interested in alternative medicine.
